Gearing



A. E. SCHUETTE. GEAmNG. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17,-!921.

i,422792, Patented July M, 1922.

carica.

AUGUST E. SCHUETTE, OF RED BUD, ILLINOIS, ASSGNOB TO CENTRAL MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1922.

Application filed January 17, 1921. Serial No. 437,932.

To all /m/Lom 'if may conce/in.'

Be it known that I, AUGUST E. SoHUn-TTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Red Bud, Randolph County, Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gearing, of which the following is a specification. y

This invention relates to gearing and has special reference to gearing for operating driven mechanism in alternately opposite directions.

My invention is specially designed for operating washing machines and it is in such an embodiment that the invention is shown.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved gearing of extremely simple and durable construction that is easily assembled and controlled; that is of inexpensive construction and of less weight than many other gearings used for the same purpose.

Other objects will appear from the following description in which reference is made to the drawing showing the invention7 and in which- Fig. 1 is a view showing the invention applied to a washing machine, the casing of the gearing being in section.

F ig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing details of the invention, the casing being shown in section along the line 2-2 0f Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the construction by which the driving gear is operated to opposite sides of the driven gear so that the latter will be operated in alternately opposite directions.

The washing machine shown includes a shaft 1 to which the gear 2 is attached. The gear 2 is of the well known construction in which the teeth 3 extend for only a portion of circumference of the gear, leaving a space through which the driven gear may move from one side of said gear 2 to the other side thereof so as to impart reverse movements to said gear. At each end of the series of teeth 3 an arcuate guide 4 is pro vided to engage a part of the driving gear and shift the driving gear from one side of the teeth 3 to the other side thereof, so as to impart a reverse movement to said gear.

My present invention comprises novel mechanism for imparting reverse movements to the driven mechanism described.

As shown the motor 5 is supported below the washing machine and drives a shaft 6 which is provided with a worm 7. The worm 7 engages and operates a worm wheel 8 which is loose on a shaft 9 so that by clutching the wheel 8 to the shaft 9, the latter may be driven from the motor. The lower end of the shaft 9 is `iournaled in a bearing 10 on the bottom wall of a casing 11, and the upper end of said shaft 9 is journaled in a bearing 12 which is rigid with a casing wall 13. The casing 11 is arranged to contain lubricant so as to maintain the gearing therein in a lubricated condition. The upper wall of the casing 1l is composed of two removable parts. The part la of the upper wall has an opening therethrough surrounded by a Hange 15 which receives the lower end of a sleeve 16 enclosing the shaft 9 from the lower casing to the upper casing 13. The sleeve 16 is held in connection with the flange 15 and with the bearing 12 by screws which may be removed to permit the top wall portion 14 to be detached from the casing 11. The wall portion 14 is provided with a iange 17 engaging the inner surface of the casing wall 11 so as to hold the top wall portion 14 in proper location.

The shaft 9 extends through the bearing 12 and constitutes a pivot for a swinging arm 18. A pinion 19 is attached to the shaft 9 above the arm 18 and meshes with a gear 20 supported by said arm 18 intermediate of the ends thereof. The intermediate gear 20 meshes with and drives a gear 21 supported on a stud shaft 22 near the end of the arm 18. A gear 23 is also supported on the stud shaft 22 and is in rigid connection with the gear 21. The gear 23 is in mesh with the teeth 3 of the gear 2 so that when the motor is operating the gear 2 will be driven by the train of gearing described. A reverse movement will be imparted to the gear 2 due to the fact that the hub 21 of the gear 23 enters the arcuate guides 4 at the ends of the teeth 3 and is thereby moved to alternately opposite sides of the gear 2.

An improved feature of the invention consists in the arrangement of the casing 13 in which the gearing 19-20-21 and 23 opera-tes. As shown, the casing 13 is adapted to contain lubricant so that the gearing will be constantly maintained in a lubricated condition. The large gear 2 is enclosed within a casing 25 which opens into and supports the casing 13 so that all parts ofthe gearing mechanism are enclosed and cannot become entangled with or soil the clothes of the user.

My improved gearing is also arrangedfor use in operating another mechanism, such for instance as a. wringer. A part of the wringer operating mechanism is shown comprising a shaft 26 having a universal pivot connection 27 with a shaft 28 journaled within the casing ll. A gear wheel 29 is attached to the shaft 23 and is in mesh with a gear 30 loose on the shaft 9 and rigid with the worm gear 8. A clutch member 3l on the shaft 9 is movable into and out of clutching engagement with the gear 30 to lock said wheel, as wellas the worm gear S, tothe shaft 9, so that the driving gearing may be operated ornot as-desired. The clutch mem-Y ber 3l is engaged by a crank 32 on the inner end of a crank support 33. Y A lever 3l on the outer end of the crank shaft 32 is connected with a link 35 and the upper end of Said link is pivoted to an operating lever 36. The operating lever 36 is pivoted upon a support 37 and is provided with a handle 38 for operation.

In the position shown in Fig. l the clutch 3l is in clutching engagement with the gear 30. The clutch 3l may be raised out of clutching engagement with the gear-30 by turning the lever 36 in a directionto raise the link 35. The construction and arrangement of the'parts is such that when the handle 38 is moved into engagement with the link 35 the parts will be retained in position to support the clutch 31.*out of engagement with the gear 30, due to the fact that the pivoted end of the link 35 has passed beyond dead center and will be held from further movement by engagement of the handle 38 therewith.

From the foregoing it will be understood that my invention completely and satisfactorily serves all of its intended purposes. It is of very simple and economical constrnc.- tion and eliminates much of the weight of more cumbersome structures. The parts are thoroughly protected so that the clothing of the operator cannot become entangled with the gearing or be soiledthereby.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is z l. The combination witha gear wheel to be driven, a shaft, gearing for rotating said shaft, an arm pivoted on said shaft for swingingmovements, and gearing on said arm driven from said shaft for driving saidy on the intermediate shaft', a clutch memberV on the intermediate shaft movable into and out of clutching engagement with saidgear wheel, a crank engaging said clutch for moving the same into and out of engagement with said gear wheel, and a link for operating said crank, a lever for operating said link and vbeing movable from a position in which Vsaid clutch memberwill engage' said gear wheel to a position in which said clutch member will be held out of engagement with said gear wheel, and a gear wheel on the shaft which is to be driven meshing with the gear Wheel on said intermediate shaft."

AUGUST n. scnnnrrn. 

